Perturbator | |
|---|---|
 Perturbator at Rock am Ring in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Kent |
| Origin | Paris, France |
| Genres | Electronic, synthwave,[1] industrial, darksynth |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Blood Music |
| Website | perturbator |
James Kent (born 1993), known by his stage name Perturbator,[2] is a French synthwave musician from Paris. His parents are British music critic Nick Kent, and French music journalist, Laurence Romance.
Kent has a background as a guitarist in several black metal[3] bands. Since 2012, he has produced electronic music inspired by cyberpunk culture and from movies such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and The Running Man.[4] He uses a variety of software synths in his productions, such as the emulators of old vintage synths like the OB-X or the CS-80.[5] Since his debut EP Night Driving Avenger he has released five full-length albums,[6][7] the latest of which is Lustful Sacraments[8] on the Blood Music label, and has performed several live shows. Several of his tracks were featured in the 2012 game Hotline Miami and its 2015 sequel Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Perturbator's EP Sexualizer was released in part to officially release the song "Miami Disco" and as a way to thank the developers of Hotline Miami.[9] The success of the Hotline Miami games resulted in a greater amount of exposure to a mainstream audience.
Perturbator released his fourth full-length album The Uncanny Valley on 6 May 2016 through Blood Music on a range of formats including Digibook CD, vinyl, and cassette tape. The album was met with generally positive reviews, with MetalSucks and Bloody Disgusting both writing in praise of it. Some versions of the album also included a bonus EP, with Kent writing that "The first three songs complement the themes covered within The Uncanny Valley, and the final track—'VERS/US'—is a demo from The Uncanny Valley writing sessions that fits the mood and atmosphere of the album but didn't quite make it into the final cut."[10] Bloody Disgusting gave the album 5/5 and wrote that The Uncanny Valley "is sure to not only please fans of the genre but also win over newcomers."[11]
Kent became interested in music in part due to the influence of his parents, who are journalists and rock music critics.[12] His parents were themselves musicians and had a tech trance band when they were young, which influenced Kent to take an interest in synthesizers.
Kent also has a side project called L'Enfant De La Forêt[13] and his own label called "Music of the Void".
In 2019 Kent appeared in the documentary film The Rise of the Synths, appearing alongside various other composers from the Synthwave scene, including filmmaker John Carpenter who also narrated the film which explored the origins and growth of the genre.
Adapted from AllMusic,[14] SoundCloud,[15] Bandcamp,[16][17] Google Play Music,[18] Discogs,[19] and official website.[20]
